The Case of the Ex?
by spooksfan08
Summary: Follows on from Just Good Friends. Its been nearly a year and Gary is acting weird. Even by Miranda's standards. Can Stevie help or is the arrival of someone from Tilly's university days break up the hapless couple for good? Who is Ally and is she really what Miranda and Stevie think? If not why is Gary acting so strange? What does he have to hide?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer I do not own Miranda or anything associated with the programme. All rights belong to Miranda Hart and BBC television as far as I know. No copyright infringement is intended nor should be inferred.**

**Question Time?**

"Oh Miranda." Stevie rolled her eyes as she unlocked the door to the small gift shop her best friend owned. "Ae you sure about this?"

"Of course I'm sure." Miranda stated as she bit her lip. "I think I'm sure. Oh you've got me thinking about it again now. You always do this." She huffed as she tugged her jacket off. "Don't look like that. You know you do."

"Do what?" Stevie stared up at her.

"Make me think I am certain about something and then ask me again at a later date and I suddenly don't know again."

"That's not my fault, Miranda." Stevie headed towards the kettle. "Ask him."

"I can't ask him." Miranda huffed again before flopping down onto a pink plastic inflatable arm-chair in the corner. "Do we actually sell any of these?"

"What?"

"These chairs? You can't sit in them."

"Normal sized people can."

"Oh thanks." Miranda slid out and sat on the floor. "You know me. I'm not like Tilly and those girls from my school. I'm."

"Vaguely normal?" Stevie arrived back in the shop with two mugs of tea. "Things have been going well with Gary. Haven't they?"

"Yeah." Miranda smiled as she thought of the chef she had been seeing since Christmas. "It's nearly a year now."

"Well then. Ask him. What is going on? Is Tilly's friend just making up nasty rumours or is there something really going on? Was he really with that bimbo or what? I'd ask him. If I were you." Stevie drank a mouthful of tea as Miranda stared into space.

"No, she's just making things up. Gary wouldn't cheat. But then Ally is blonde and very pretty and thin and well, nothing like me. Bet she could sit in a plastic chair without falling off. "Miranda closed her eyes. "No. I am being paranoid."

"Do you want me to ask him?"

"Would you? Stevie? Would you?"

"No."

"Steeviee."

"He's your boyfriend."

"Oh yeah." Miranda smiled. "That's besides the point."

"Miranda. I am sick of being the go between with you two." Stevie watched as her best friend stared into her mug. "Ok, ok. I'll ask around, find out what's been going on."

"Would you? Thanks." Miranda got to her feet and narrowly avoided falling over the boxes of Christmas novelties she yet had to find display place for.

"Yeah." Stevie smiled, hoping that there really would be nothing to find. Gary just wasn't the type to cheat. Was he?

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A/N I know its been ages since I wrote anything for Miranda. This follows on from Just Good Friends. Please review - even if you think it's rubbish.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer I don't own Miranda.**

** Secrets?**

Gary was not in a good mood. He marched down the High Street with his hands shoved deep in his pockets and his head down as the early October rain began to get worse.

"Stupid. Stupid. Stupid." He dodged a young woman with a pram as he tried not to get soaked when a car ran through a huge puddle on the side of the road. He cursed under his breath as the freezing water hit him. He closed his eyes for a moment, knowing he would have to go home and change.

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"Hello Miranda." Clive wiped the bar over as she perched on the bar stool.

"Hello."

"Gary isn't here yet." He smiled slightly, knowing the shopkeeper turned up more often than not to see his chef rather than to buy a drink.

"No? Ok. Clive?"

"Yes, Miranda." He threw the towel over his shoulder in a bid to look cool. Miranda rolled her eyes.

"How is he? Really?"

"Well, he's your boyfriend." Clive smiled.

"I know. "Miranda still couldn't help but blush when she thought of the dark haired quietly spoken man she had been in love with since her university days. "But, you don't think? No, forget I said anything. I'm being silly."

"No." Clive leant on the bar, eager for more gossip. "What is it?"

"If he was being strange you'd tell me? I mean I worry."

"Oh! Of course." Clive smiled. "You know I would. Look, Stevie was in here this morning asking questions about Gary. If there something going on?"

"Oh no." Miranda lied. "Oh nothing like that. I'd. Well, I dunno. I really don't know. He's just been acting weird around me."

"Miranda, everyone acts a little weird around you." Clive laughed. "I mean it's not like Gary has got another woman or something." Miranda smiled slightly as Clive spoke. She blinked back tears as Clive covered his mouth with one hand. "Has he?"

"No." Both turned to see Gary in the doorway of the bistro. "No he hasn't. Miranda!"

Miranda turned away and blinked back tears while trying to get off the bar stool without falling off. Grabbing the bar to steady herself she shook her head and mumbled something neither man understood before leaving the restaurant. Clive shrugged his shoulders before sighing dramatically.

"Don't ask me."

"Clive!" Gary half yelled. "What have you said to her?"

"Well, if you will insist on keeping everything a secret can you blame the girl for thinking you are two timing her."

"You are two timing Miranda!" Both men glared at each other for a moment. Neither had noticed Stevie arrive to buy her lunch. "Gary! Are you? Well after all it took for the two of you to get together! No forget that. She's too good for you. She doesn't need a man who would cheat on her!" Stevie turned to leave as Gary grabbed her arm.

"I am not cheating on Miranda. Why does no one believe me?"

"You're not?"

"No. I wouldn't." Gary answered honestly. "Please, Stevie you have to believe me."

"No Gary I don't. Miranda does and right now I don't think she does." Stevie nodded towards the table at the side of the bar.

"Sit down." She raised an eyebrow leaving Gary with no room for argument. "Sit!" Gary sat down and buried his face in his hands. "Now. It's just me. Miranda's best friend. Tell me what's been going on. Now."

"I."

"Gary!"

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Miranda flopped on the sofa in her flat. The television was on in the background but she had no idea what was going on in the programme. She grabbed a cushion and hugged it to her before burying her head in the soft pillow.

"Not going to cry. Stupid Gary! How dare he?" She mumbled. "Stupid Clive! Oh!" She shook her head. "No, not having this. I do not cry over chefs. I just don't. I wont do it. Where's my DVDs? Why am I talking out loud I'm on my own. Oh well, first sign of madness!" She grabbed a Grease DVD from the coffee table. "Right, Danny and Sandy here we come." She put the DVD on and tried to concentrate on the movie.

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"So, why didn't you just tell her?" Stevie frowned as she listened to Gary's story.

"I dunno."

"I dunno? What sort of answer is I dunno? Come on Gary. Why?"

"Well, you know I got married to give this girl a Green Card."

"So she could stay. And you will go to prison if either of you are found out." Stevie slurped her milkshake as he nodded.

"Well, yeah. I suppose. Never thought of that if I'm honest. Anyway she got back in touch with me last week."

"And?"

"And she has met someone. She wants to marry him so she asked me for a divorce."

"And?"

"And I said yes of course." Gary raised his eyes from the table for the first time since Stevie had made him sit down. "I don't want to be with her. She is a nice girl but."

"She's not a tall, accident prone shopkeeper with an insane mother and impeccable choice in best friends?"

"Exactly." Gary smiled. "Only now she thinks I've been cheating."

"And you are you haven't been."

"Of course I haven't been. Stevie? Have you been listening to anything I said?"

"Yes, just checking." She smiled. "Now, Miranda thinks you have been cheating because Clive said so and you have been really odd lately. Lots of not coming into the shop and lots of sneaking around, making excuses not to see her. I think you have some explaining to do."

"You're right."

"Well, go on then." Stevie stood and began ushering him towards the door. "Go and explain."

"But."

"No buts."

"What do I say?"

"The truth would be a good start. Men, I mean honestly." She bundled Gary out of the resteraunt and towards the Gift Shop next door. Before he could argue Stevie had opened the door and half shoved him in. "Why has she put the closed sign up?"

"Gary." Stevie walked into the back of the shop before running up the stairs to the flat. "Oh no. Oh no Miranda. No."

"What? Where is she?"

"Gary, she's gone. Miranda has gone."

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A/N Where would Miranda go? Please review.


	3. Chapter 3

**disclaimer not mine (because sometimes when you are sat on a park bench crying there are good people in the world.)**

**Gone?**

"Don't look at me like that, Gary." Stevie huffed as she walked back down the steps to the shop. "None of this is my fault."

"I didn't say it was." Gary slumped in the chair and picked up a Heather Small mask. "What's this?"

"Nothing for you to worry about." Stevie reached out a hand to take it from him.

"What have you done today, to make you feel proud?" Gary mumbled as he handed the cardboard cut out to her. "Not much really." He slipped off the stool and skulked out of the shop. Stevie shook her head and watched him go. She had no idea where Miranda had gone but had a feeling they had been wrong about Gary.

"It is all my fault." She sighed before turning back to the till. "It really is my fault."

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Miranda sat on the park bench watching the world go by. She had no intention of going home and certainly wasn't going to go to her parents' house. The last thing she needed was Penny berating her for being in her mid 30s and still unable to keep a boyfriend. Miranda closed her eyes and shook her head as she saw an elderly married couple walking along. The old man had a small dog on a lead as his wife linked her arm through his. Although they walked considerably slower than almost everyone else in the park neither seemed to mind. Miranda smiled as the elderly woman sat next to her.

"He likes to give Ben a bit of a run." She explained. Miranda nodded as she watched the elderly woman as the dog bounded around the park. "I'm Rose. That's John and that mad mutt is Ben. My pride and joy."

"Miranda."

"Are you alright? You seem a bit down."

"I'm thirty-five. Thirty Five." Miranda shook her head. "How long have you and John been together?"

"Well." Rose smiled. "He was in school with George. My older brother."

"See? You've known each other forever." Miranda sighed. "I'm thirty-five. I have no kids. One mother who is forever despairing of my lack of children and a boyfriend who is cheating on me."

"Oh dear." Rose handed Miranda a tissue. "Thirty five is young. I wish I was thirty-five."

"How?"

"I'm eighty-six. John is eight nine and Ben is twelve." She smiled as the little terrier bounded after the tennis ball JOhn had thrown. "But in the beginning I never thought John would look at me. I was plain I supose. I was the funny but plain girl. Had my own shop."

"I have a gift shop."

"Really?" Rose smiled. "I sold sweets. It was my parent's shop but when Dad died I got it."

"Oh." Miranda had no idea why the old woman was talking to her but it did seem to take her mind off her own trouble.

"John was a friend and then one day he had to go away. National Service."

"Gary went away, travelling. Hong Kong."

"Oh very exotic." Rose smiled.

"Yeah."

"Anyway, he came back more confident. Spoke nicely, asked me to help him with his work. He'd trained as a cook in the army. Best sponge cake I have ever tasted. And well, sixty years later this is us."

"Do you have children?" Miranda watched as the old lady's eyes clouded over. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"It's ok dear. Yes, we have four. All grown up now. Well, all my girls are."

"Girls?"

"I have three daughters. One's a nurse. My boy died when he was a baby. I suppose these days they call it cot death but all I know is it broke my heart losing him."

"Oh God. I am so sorry." Miranda felt her eyes fill with tears as she listened to the old woman telling her story.

"Thank you." Rose patted her hand. "Now, this is not why I told you about my lot. My girls are big and headstrong. One lives with a woman! That took a little getting used to. Wasn't the done thing in my day but Deborah is happy so I am. And your mum will be too."

"You haven't met my mum."

"No." Rose laughed lightly. "But all good mothers just want their child to be healthy, happy and looked after. If you think this Gary is the one for you don't run at the first bump in the road. Whatever he's done, as long as you love each other. Trust me, John was no angel as a lad. "

"Yeah." Miranda sighed as she watched the old man turn and walk towards them.

"Oh, Miranda?"

"Yeah."

"You look after yourself. Life is too short to cry over any man. Even the ones we think are worth it."

"Thanks." Miranda smiled as her eyes shone with unshed tears. "I mean its' just because its Gary."

"Ah. Then I hope he is worth it. You can be happy you know? Your version of happiness doesn't have to mean babies and weddings. You never know what cards the good Lord deals us. Look at my lot. And to think I didn't even like John much when we were kids."

"Take care." Miranda watched as she walked away, one arm linked through John's as the dog bounded around them. Shaking her head she knew the old lady was right. The late summer sun faded as Miranda sat there and watched them go. It was only when she felt a hand cover hers that she realised someone else had joined her.

"Gary."

"Hi." He blushed slightly as she turned to face them. "So you met my Gran and Grandpa then? I wish they'd let us walk the dog."

"Your grandparents?" Miranda stared at him aghast.

"Yeah." Gary smiled as she looked at him. "Rose and John. The reason I moved back the first time was to keep an eye on them. I thought you knew."

"Yeah." Miranda sighed as the vague memory came back to her.

"You know? I always said I wanted the sort of relationship they have."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Gary nodded. "They met when they were teenagers. You know my grandfather was a cook. Taught me how to cook when I was a teenager. They argue and bicker all the time but I guess they got lucky."

"How?" Miranda watched as Gary smiled at her.

"They fell in love with their best friend."

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A/N I hope you liked this. It wasn't the direction I was going to take it but please review.


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